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A common defence put up by the leadership of the New Patriotic Party’s caucus for their inability to retain Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye as Speaker of Parliament is that they had to reach a compromise with the NDC caucus just for peace to prevail and for the smooth swearing-in of President Akufo-Addo.
The NPP caucus leader in Parliament, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and his deputy Alex Afenyo-Markin had in various media interviews intimated that after the ballot snatching incident by Carlos Ahenkorah, they had to find a common ground with the NDC MPs because they were threatening to delay the investiture ceremony.
To this end, they agreed to make Alban Bagbin the Speaker of the Parliament which implies that Bagbin was not elected by the house.
“As part of building a consensus, when we met, my first proposal to my colleagues was that this election has been truncated just as the first three attempts had been truncated, and we had to begin a new voting process.”
“So that was the initial proposal. My colleagues went into the conclave and came to say that they objected to that proposal that we should do a re-run. So we were thinking through, and it was still in the process of further engagement that we came to the conclusion that where we are, let us adopt Bagbin as a consensus candidate.” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said in an interview.
But in the first sitting of the eighth parliament, Alban Bagbin exposed the falsehood being peddled by the NPP MPs.
He announced that he is a product of an election held on the floor of the house and that he polled two votes more than Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye who was Speaker of the 7th Parliament seeking re-election.
“I fully subscribe to that view. No more, no less. Co-operation, dialogue, accommodation and consensus-building must guide this Parliament in the conduct of its business. We must work together for the betterment of Ghana and Ghanaians.
“That I believe is the demand of Ghanaians and the loud and clear message of the 2020 general elections. That is the message in the votes of 136 in favour of Rt Hon. Aaron Mike Oquaye, as to 138 for Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, with one spoilt ballot which propelled me to this high office of Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana,” he added.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu responded to the claims by the Speaker but resisted the attempt to be drawn into a banter with the venerable Alban Bagbin.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
